IQAC: An Introduction
Maintaining the momentum of quality consciousness is crucial in HEIs. Internal Quality Assurance Cell, an internal quality assurance mechanism of the institution, is conceived as a mechanism to build and ensure a quality culture at the institutional level. In pursuance of its Action Plan for performance evaluation, assessment and accreditation and quality up-gradation of institutions of higher education, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Bangalore proposes that every accredited institution should establish an Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) as a quality sustenance measure. The IQAC is meant for planning, guiding and monitoring Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Enhancement (QE) activities of the HEIs. Since quality enhancement is a continuous process, the IQAC will become a part of the institution’s system and work towards realisation of the goals of quality enhancement and sustenance. The prime task of the IQAC is to develop a system for conscious, consistent and catalytic improvement in the overall performance of institutions. For this, during the post-accreditation period, institutions need to channelize its efforts and measures towards promoting the holistic academic excellence including the peer committee recommendations. The IQAC should become a driving force for ushering in quality by working out intervention strategies to remove deficiencies and enhance quality. It will not be yet another hierarchical structure or a record-keeping exercise in the institution. It will be a facilitative and participative voluntary system/unit/organ of the institution. It has the potential to become a vehicle for ushering in quality enhancement by working out planned interventionist strategies by IQAC to remove deficiencies and enhance quality like the “Quality Circles” in industries.
Vision
To ensure quality culture as the prime concern for the Higher Education Institutions through institutionalizing and internalizing all the initiatives taken with internal and external support.
Objective
The primary aim of IQAC is
- to develop a system for conscious, consistent and catalytic action to improve the academic and administrative performance of the institution.
- to promote measures for institutional functioning towards quality enhancement through internalization of quality culture and institutionalization of best practices.
Functions
Some of the functions expected of the IQAC are: a) Development and application of quality benchmarks; b) Parameters for various academic and administrative activities of the institution; c) Facilitating the creation of a learner-centric environment conducive to quality education and faculty maturation to adopt the required knowledge and technology for participatory teaching and learning process; d) Collection and analysis of feedback from all stakeholders on quality-related institutional processes; e) Dissemination of information on various quality parameters to all stakeholders; f) Organization of inter and intra institutional workshops, seminars on quality related themes and promotion of quality circles; g) Documentation of the various programmes/activities leading to quality improvement; h) Acting as a nodal agency of the Institution for coordinating quality-related activities, including adoption and dissemination of best practices; i) Development and maintenance of institutional database through MIS for the purpose of maintaining /enhancing the institutional quality; j) Periodical conduct of Academic and Administrative Audit and its follow-up; k) Preparation and submission of the Annual Quality Assurance Report (AQAR) as per guidelines and parameters of NAAC.
Composition
IQAC may be constituted in every institution under the Chairmanship of the Head of the institution with heads of important academic and administrative units and a few teachers and a few distinguished educationists and representatives of local management and stakeholders. The composition of the IQAC may be as follows: 1. Chairperson: Head of the Institution 2. Teachers to represent all level (Three to eight) 3. One member from the Management 4. Few Senior administrative officers 5. One nominee each from local society, Students and Alumni 6. One nominee each from Employers /Industrialists/Stakeholders 7. One of the senior teachers as the coordinator/Director of the IQAC
Contact
Prof. Ghanashyam Bez
Director, IQAC
North-Eastern Hill University
Umshing, Shillong -793022, Meghalaya
Phone: 94363332612 (M) ; (0364) 272-1070 (Director) / 1080(Office)
Email: directoriqac@nehu.ac.in